Re: [lace] Re: Lace Demonstration at Historic Sites
Belgium only became a country in 1830. Rockland County and Bergen County, along with New York City were being settled in the 1600's. At that point, the lace making regions of Belgium would have been called the Southern Netherlands. I can't say that my historical knowledge extends to whether Rockland Country and Bergen County were settled by people from the Northern or Southern Netherlands, or both. In addition, I understand that religious turmoil in the Netherlands was causing skilled craft workers to migrate from the Southern Netherlands to the Northern Netherlands during that era. I don't consider it far fetched that there were persons making bobbin lace in their households in the 1600's in Dutch North America, but I have no evidence to support that. Devon (former resident of Rockland Country whose father was vice president and editor of the Quarterly of the Tappan Zee Historical Society, later to become the Rockland Country Historical Society.) In a message dated 8/21/2009 10:13:07 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, rmhar...@optimum.net writes: We know that bobbin lace was made in Ipswich, but have never been able to find evidence of it being made in our area, which was strongly Dutch when first settled. Apparently in Europe at that date it was in Belgium that lace was mostly made, while the Netherlands provided them with excellent thread. If anyone has any additional information on lace being made in the NY/NJ area, we'd be grateful to have it. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Re: Lace Demonstration at Historic Sites
Dear Devon and All of you, Belgium wasn't only build with parts from the south of Netherlands . One part come from France that's why this language problem excist there. So also French bobbin lacemakers where there. I personally didn't hear something about wandering to the north or to France after that. And at that time there was perhaps more lacemaking in France than in Belgium. Thing on Chantilly and Le Puye. It's tru the brothers Lefebure from Greardsbergen south of Brussels built also manufacturies for Chantilly-lace but after Chantilly. Greetings Ilske - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] lace songs
Cannot remember who asked about lace songs, but I found an old Belgian one. See below for Dutch, and for English translation. _Klosjes_ Losjes, losjes, losjes, vliegen doen de klosjes, van den enen kant naar den andren kant. Vrouwkes komen vragen: Wie zal dat kantje dragen? Het liefste kind, het Koningskind, het liefste kind van ’t land. by: René De Clercq _Bobbins_ Loosely, loosely, loosely, fly the bobbins, from one side to the other side. Women come and ask: Who will wear that lace? The loveliest child, the Royal child, the loveliest child in the land. Agnes Boddington - Elloughton UK - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Fwd: Ipswich Lace
Obviously, my memory has played me false :) Begin forwarded message: From: Judith Lamp ewl...@bellatlantic.net Date: August 21, 2009 23:39:38 EDT To: t...@rockbridge.net Subject: Ipswich Lace Hi Tamara, I get the summary of the lace digest posts. My late husband subscribed to it for me so I don't know how to post a message. I just finished Marta Cotterell Raffel's book on Ipswich lace. She states that the lace was sold in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia and Virginia. I would not consider that local use. Judith Lamp -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Pioneer settler
Women in the west also made lace for their own clothing and family clothes. Knitted and crocheted lace were especially popular in many of the territories. In The Long Winter, Laura Ingalls Wilder writes of spending many hours knitting a cotton lace edging which she ends up gifting to her blind sister to use to trim a petticoat. During that winter, she was maybe 13-14 years old, I think. I saw knitted lace in several of the regional museums I visited on a vacation trip to the areas she lived in during her childhood (Iowa, Minnesota, S. Dakota, Missouri). Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, wrote a novel based on the same time period (circa 1870s) about a homesteading wife who spent an entire winter alone with her baby and literally nothing to do until spring. (O Pioneer, I think) She wrote of the woman crocheting (I'm writing this from memory, it might have been knitting) an entire spool of cotton thread into lace, and then unraveling it so that she could work it up again, because she had nothing else to occupy the endless winter hours in her homestead shanty. Boy does that paint a picture! I can imagine that immigrant women who brought bobbin lace skills with them to America might have spent winter months making lace for their own use. Rose Wilder Lane also wrote the Woman's Day Book of American Needlework, a book I have enjoyed since childhood. There are examples of both crocheted and knitted lace in it. In my home state, Texas, I think that crocheted and tatted lace were more common. I don't remember seeing any knitted lace until I was an adult, and had long left Texas. My Dad's mother used to tell the story that she had once tatted an antimacassar and proudly displayed it on the back of an easy chair. Her very crafty sister came over and after the briefest of glances from across the room, stated badly, You made a mistake, there! That was the last tatting my grandmother ever did, and in fact, I never saw her do anything requiring more dexterity than shuffling and dealing cards for her bridge games. My mother's mother, on the other hand, crocheted several fabulous cotton bedspreads during her lifetime. I can remember many family discussions over who would be lucky enough to inherit them. Lisa McClure Alex Stillwell wrote: Yes, members of my guild demo at local historic sites even though lace was not a normal activity of the early settlers. I live in the far west of the USA and modern history only started in the 1840's in this country. It was settled by people who walked across the USA and carried all their possessions in a wagon. Some of the diaries of the settlers mentioned that a woman might carry a crochet hook or a tatting shuttle in her pocket clear across the country because nothing frivolous was allowed in the wagon. Bobbin lace equipment would not have been included, even if the lady knew how to do it. The settlers may not have been able to take their bobbin lace equipment in the wagons, but after they became settled they could have made the equipment. Pillows are easy to make and bobbins can be whittled, parchments are prepared from skin and thread and pins would have been available. The limiting factor would have been the demand for lace in the area - at that time lace was not made for enjoyment but as a source of income. If there was a demand and if it was sufficiently lucrative it could have been a way of earning extra money. However, there would probably be some evidence of this in the form of advertisements, possibly in newspapers, even in dressmakers adverts. Has anyone seen one? Alex - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Fw: [lace] Pioneer settler
In all my years growing up and living in the 'west', there has been no mention of the early settlers making lace other than crochet and tattingand that was to decorate the household items or perhaps a girl's clothing. There was some lace in the original states along the eastern seaboard...including Massachusetts. I have seen no reference to it in the settling of the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. It was mostly descendants of these settlers who moved west across the plains to the western edge of the country. If there had been lace in the background of the people who left Europe to come to the new colony, it had not been passed down the generations. The struggle of the early settlers just to survive left very little time for luxury. As homes became established in the west, and some of the people built up some wealth, lace became available in the stores ...mainly machine made lace in the later 1800's The Victorian style of living was adapted in the USA as well as Great Britain. As life became more genteel, lace making ideas and patterns plus equipment appeared in the Ladies Magazines. Various Make-it-Yourself styles of lace appeared, including the well-known Princess bobbin lace machine (which was promoted as a way to make spending money but I never read of anyone actually making money from the lace made on it.) Various western museums have some circa 1900 lacemaking things, or they appear in estate sales from the attics of grandparents. Some people did go to Europe and learn basic lacemaking there, but it was not a common hobby in most of the USA. There were a few people making it through the years. Not until the 1960's and 1970's did it gain popularity, and led to the current crop of lacemakers and the hundreds of lace books we have available to us today. HmmmI may have gone a bit astray of the original question. Even though lacemaking was not a part of the early life in this state, I'm glad the previous generation was willing to teach and expand the written knowledge so that I finally became aware of the art and had a chance to learn it. Alice in Oregonwho got up before dawn to watch 16 air ballons fly. Tonight they return for a Night Glow. - Original Message The settlers may not have been able to take their bobbin lace equipment in the wagons, but after they became settled they could have made the equipment. ...The limiting factor would have been the demand for lace in the area - at that time lace was not made for enjoyment but as a source of income.. However, there would probably be some evidence of this in the form of advertisements, possibly in newspapers, even in dressmakers adverts. Has anyone seen one? Alex - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Pioneer settler
Going a bit farther... because we have historic sites which are related to significant eras and famous people in the history of the US and of the state of Virginia, not only do our historians carefully pursue the written evidence, but they also are able to explore the archeological evidence left behind. In Jamestown, Williamsburg, and areas of interest due to modern development, i.e., in Richmond for example, as well as during the restoration of homes of former Presidents (Washington, Madison, Jefferson, and Jefferson's retreat in Bedford: Poplar Forest), exhaustive research has been done, and there is no evidence of bobbins or anything else which would suggest the production or trade of lace. This does not imply, however, that the citizens of Virginia who were wealthy and also culturally astute were not captivated by the beauty of the laces which could be imported from Europe - and evidence supports that they did, indeed, import fine lace from Europe. However, our country developed over many decades and numerous centuries, and as settlers made their way west, those who followed had an easier path to follow, and were able to bring with them more and more treasures from their previous lives. So, technically speaking, I think that the later settlers had an easier time of it, and were better able to carry with them their treasures. So... as a result, you see (for example) that there was a large and successful settlement of people in the northern Midwest who made lace as it had been made in their homeland. I think this would be a fascinating subject for someone to pursue for a book... Clay Alex Stillwell wrote: Yes, members of my guild demo at local historic sites even though lace was not a normal activity of the early settlers. I live in the far west of the USA and modern history only started in the 1840's in this country. It was settled by people who walked across the USA and carried all their possessions in a wagon. Some of the diaries of the settlers mentioned that a woman might carry a crochet hook or a tatting shuttle in her pocket clear across the country because nothing frivolous was allowed in the wagon. Bobbin lace equipment would not have been included, even if the lady knew how to do it. The settlers may not have been able to take their bobbin lace equipment in the wagons, but after they became settled they could have made the equipment. Pillows are easy to make and bobbins can be whittled, parchments are prepared from skin and thread and pins would have been available. The limiting factor would have been the demand for lace in the area - at that time lace was not made for enjoyment but as a source of income. If there was a demand and if it was sufficiently lucrative it could have been a way of earning extra money. However, there would probably be some evidence of this in the form of advertisements, possibly in newspapers, even in dressmakers adverts. Has anyone seen one? Alex - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Lacemaking in historical US
There was a reference in an archeological book, possibly the one by Mary Beaudry, to a lace pillow found thrown down a privy in the Five Points section of New York. I think it was during the mid 1800's when the area served as one with many saloons and houses of prostitution. In fact, I got the original book about the excavation out of the library in an attempt to learn more about it. It seemed to be the surmise of the scholars that prostitutes did piecework, and pursued needle trades like other immigrants, while waiting for clients and that this may have been the lace pillow of a prostitute. As we know, there was a great deal of prostitution while the west was being settled, particularly in mining towns, so this might be an angle to work while demonstrating in our western states. It was not necessarily the virtuous women, denied equipment more bulky than a tatting shuttle, who were the bobbin lacemakers. Earlier in the day, I spent some fruitless time trying to figure out what political entity the lace making regions of what was later Belgium, such as Antwerp, belonged to during the period when the Dutch were settling Rockland County, NY and Bergen County, NJ during the 1600s. I finally gave up. Possibly it was the Spanish Netherlands. However, I do believe that there was a migration of Protestant craft workers to the Dutch Republic after the invasion by the Duke of Alba in the late 16th century, and the religious persecution that followed it. Tapestry workers, for instance, were very often Protestants. I am not sure whether this adds any clarification as to whether people can demonstrate lace at historical properties in Bergen (first settled in 1633) and Rockland Country with a clear conscience. However, Nicholas Maes, who is considered a Dutch painter and spent much of his life in Amsterdam (1634-1693) painted the picture of The Lacemaker which hangs at the Met, so I think you could make the case that the Dutch people who inhabited Rockland and Bergen county may have made lace, even in the absence of any artifacts. Devon - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Fwd: Lace in Translation Exhibition
I don't know whether Tina sent this privately by intent or by mistake but I think it's something that everyone on Arachne should see, so I'm forwarding. Begin forwarded message: From: Tina Allen tzal...@yahoo.com Date: August 22, 2009 15:48:54 EDT To: tallen...@verizon.net Subject: Re: Lace in Translation Exhibition Hi, I've attached a link to the web site for Lace in Translation, an exhibition at the Paley Design center at Philadelphia University that I thought you might find of interest. The exhibition runs from 9/24/09 to 4/3/10 http://www.laceintranslation.com/. Best regards, Tina Allen -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Looking for a tatter
Good evening everyone - My husband and I, one daughter and two grandchildren recently drove from Lincoln, NE to the Iowa State Fair and the Illinois State Fair. The trip was mainly for the purpose of judging the honey division at those respective fairs. But with some family along, we made it also a vacation. What a great time we had. At the Illinois State Fair I reacquainted with a lady I had met last year who watched me tat. She said she wished she could learn tatting. So many people say that but you never know who is really serious about it. So this year when she arrived with her honey and beeswax entries she remembered that I did tatting and once again said how much she would like to learn. So - it dawned on me that surely someone on these groups that I am involved with would be in her area and could teach her tatting. In Illinois, she is in the Rochester/Springfield area. If there is anyone who would be interested in contacting her, please let me know and I will give her name and email address. Thanks in advance. Jane Nelson Lincoln, NE USA Now getting ready for the Nebraska State Fair - we have a booth there. Then we will travel to the Kansas State Fair to judge their honey division. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Where does your lace guild meet?
I am looking for ideas on where a lace guild could meet. The Ottawa Guild of Lacemakers meets twice per month from Sept to June. One meeting is to discuss guild business, show and tell, presentations, etc. About 25 of 40 members attend this evening meeting. The other meeting is on a Saturday all day and that's for getting together and making lace or learning a new lace. Usually no more than 15 people attend this Saturday get together/course. These meetings are in two different locations and although both venues have served us relatively well, they have their challenges: parking is a pain and finding permanent storage for our library would be ideal. Cost is another consideration. Like most guilds we would rather spend money on books and teachers than on rent. We even thought that if we found the right tenant, we would offer lace course in exchange for free rent. The search is on. We are looking into alternative venues, preferably one location, that would serve both purposes and I thought it would be fun and insightful to brainstorm with the rest of the lace world. Looking forward to your ideas, Francoise Parent Ottawa, Canada - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Re: Where does your lace guild meet?
On Aug 22, 2009, at 23:20, francoise.par...@sympatico.ca wrote: I am looking for ideas on where a lace guild could meet. I don't have a local-enough guild, so don't attend meetings but one of the locations that has always struck me as mutually beneficent was a sewing notions store, if it's big enough (and many do have a back room which might be suitable). Most lacemakers are into more than just lacemaking, so the temptation to keep buying threads and other stuff while in such a store is always overpowering :) The issue of a permanent library is something else, however. The only time I've seen one was in Pittsburgh, where one of the guilds (they had two, IIRC -- Robin Panza will straighten me out, if not) was meeting in a church basement/vestry. All other guilds I know cart their libraries with them evey time... -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace] Lace Demonstration at Historic Sites
I demonstrate lacemaking annually at a Pioneer Homestead here in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The house was built of stone hewn from a local quarry, around 1860, and all the doors to the rooms are on the outside, along a verandah! there is a brick removed from the living room/kitchen wall into the adjoining bedroom so they could communicate to ?the children in bed!! The estate was given to the local City Council in the 1970/s (I think) when the family could no longer look after it, and it is now run by the local Historical society. They have built a museum in the grounds - of the same stone hewn from the same quarry, so it blends in, and it is now an accredited Museum with lace, period costumes and household goods in it. Wearing period costume feels 'Just Right' when we go there. The annual open day is in a couple of weeks (during Heritage Week) but the theme this year is 1950's so I won't be wearing my crinoline dress this time!!! A variety of crafts are featured at the Open Day festivities, and we sit in the large committee room which is part of the new Museum building. People come and see us working, and can see the Homewares too in the next room. Much of the lace collection is Maltese lace, and there are some very fine pieces there, too. A lot of people, in the old days, made lace for their own use, not to sell, so lacemaking in old historic homes is Not out of place, to my way of thinking. They did dressmaking, and embroidery, and lacemaking as a natural, usual, thing to do. Just because it is not a know lacemaking area, does not mean there was no lace made! free maids that weave their thread with bones - I have this line inscribed in a bobbin that was bought for me in Stratford-on-Avon. A guy from our Club had seen me making lace, and when he and his wife went to UK on a trip, he saw bobbins in the window of a souvenir shop, so bought them - one for me and one for himself!! The shop assistant did not want to sell them to him, as they sere not normal souvenirs, - and did he know what they were? Yes, he said, Lacemakers bobbins, - So as he knew what they were she allowed him to buy them!!! We had quite a laugh about it. So I know I have educated one person, anyway, about lacemaking!!! I don't usually accept gifts from men I only know a little, - but I made an exception for this one!!! :)) Regards from Liz in Melbourne, Oz. lizl...@bigpond.com -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 438 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Re: Where does your lace guild meet?
Tamara P Duvall t...@rockbridge.net wrote: The issue of a permanent library is something else, however. The only time I've seen one was in Pittsburgh, where one of the guilds (they had two, IIRC -- Robin Panza will straighten me out, if not) was meeting in a church basement/vestry. All other guilds I know cart their libraries with them evey time... Yes, Pittsburgh Lace Group meets in a church basement (one of their members is also a member of the congregation). They have a lockable cupboard and file cabinet in a classroom that they can store their library and meeting supplies (tea pot, paper goods, old meeting minutes and correspondence, etc.). The library is quite good for such a small group, because they pass the can at each meeting, and everyone attending contributes a dollar. It adds up, and is spent on books. I was never a member of Five Rivers, the other lace group in the area; I think they meet in several places, as their membership is rather spread out. Robin P. Los Angeles, California, USA robinl...@socal.rr.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
[lace-chat] Looking for a tatter
Good evening everyone - My husband and I, one daughter and two grandchildren recently drove from Lincoln, NE to the Iowa State Fair and the Illinois State Fair. The trip was mainly for the purpose of judging the honey division at those respective fairs. But with some family along, we made it also a vacation. What a great time we had. At the Illinois State Fair I reacquainted with a lady I had met last year who watched me tat. She said she wished she could learn tatting. So many people say that but you never know who is really serious about it. So this year when she arrived with her honey and beeswax entries she remembered that I did tatting and once again said how much she would like to learn. So - it dawned on me that surely someone on these groups that I am involved with would be in her area and could teach her tatting. In Illinois, she is in the Rochester/Springfield area. If there is anyone who would be interested in contacting her, please let me know and I will give her name and email address. Thanks in advance. Jane Nelson Lincoln, NE USA Now getting ready for the Nebraska State Fair - we have a booth there. Then we will travel to the Kansas State Fair to judge their honey division. To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com.
